


Legacy

by jasminesnow



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Abduction, Anger, Brainwashing, Captivity, Character Study, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Human Experimentation, Kidnapping, Loneliness, Post-Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, Thriller, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:22:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasminesnow/pseuds/jasminesnow
Summary: Steve is alive and suffers as Wesker experiments on him in his secret private island. Wesker is also planning to brainwash him for his future plans. What are his future plans? Will Steve manage to see through his manipulation and find a way to escape or not?
Relationships: Chris Redfield & Albert Wesker, Steve Burnside & Albert Wesker, Steve Burnside & Claire Redfield
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction is based on the old Resident Evil 1, 2, 3 games and on the code: Veronica X game. And it takes place four months after code: Veronica X.  
> The characters and the relationships that are not part of the first chapter are still on the tags because I am planning to write about them and mention them in upcoming chapters.

Steve removed the calendar from his cell's wall and hid it under his bed so that the date wouldn't remind him of things that hurt him and of things that led him to become a lab rat for the last four months. When he first asked for a calendar from one of the guards sometime ago, he thought that it would help him to stay sane. But knowing what day was, specifically today, could drive him insane from all the strong and negative emotions that it was creating inside him. He regretted that he didn't already hide the calendar a few days ago to be mentally more prepared. He walked around his gray cell in anticipation as he looked towards the clock above the door. For some weird reason they were late for the experiments today, as if they wanted to sabotage him and try to remind him that today was different compared to the other days. His stomach growled from hunger and he hated once again how they didn't allow him to eat anything before the daily experiments ended. He banged the metallic surface of the cell's door but there was no response from any guard. He soon sat on the chair in front of the small desk and tried to solve a crossword but he couldn't concentrate at all. He walked around his cell again and then he sat on his bed. He rested his elbows on his legs as he held his head between his hands and he looked at his body. He was wearing his usual "lab rat uniform". White shirt, pants and shoes just like everyday. He wondered if the rest of his life would be like that and for the first time after a long time he felt like he would be crying. He gulped and rubbed the back of his head as he tried to don't allow himself to do it and he managed to avoid any tears.  
  
A guard suddenly unlocked the door and entered inside the cell as another one was standing behind him. They were both new because every few days they were replacing the guards so that he would never manage to befriend one of them and somehow try to escape. Steve didn't resist since he knew that it was worthless and he let the guard tie his wrists with handcuffs in front of him. Then he just followed him outside of the cell and he allowed the two guards to lead him to the elevator. This time they didn't go to the floor they used to go daily and he started to panic in the thought of what could await him. All this time he thought his imprisonment couldn't get worse but he started doubting that. Fear made him tremble slightly as he inhaled deeply. The elevator's doors opened and they walked in a corridor that didn't look at all like the one of a laboratory facility. It looked like the corridor of a house and specifically of a luxurious house, judging from the wallpaper and the marble floor. It had no windows, just closed doors. The guards lead him to the door at the end of the corridor and then to another similar windowless corridor. They lead him to one of the second corridor's doors and they end up inside a big dining room. There were huge windows that allowed the sunlight to fill the room and Steve was so shocked by this that he froze in place with his mouth half opened. He hadn't seen the sunlight since they kidnapped him and kept him in that unknown lab after he survived in Antarctica. One of the guards pulled his arm but Steve couldn't move or stop looking at the window. The guard pulled his arm again and Steve walked as he looked around the room. There were paintings on the walls, a crystal chandelier above a long dining table with expensive chairs, a luxurious carpet on the wooden floor and velvet curtains on the windows. Steve looked towards one of the windows again and he approached it as he touched the surface of it's glass. The sunlight blinded him and he closed his eyes as it also warmed his face. The guard pulled his arm again without result.

"Move!" the other guard commanded him.

Steve tried to resist as they both pulled his arms and while he heard a door opening.

"Let him enjoy the sunlight!" a cold male voice ordered them.

The guards followed his order immediately as Steve turned his head to see the man. He was blonde with black sunglasses and he was wearing black shirt, pants, combat boots and leather gloves.

"You two can go." he ordered.

The guards left the room and Steve was left behind wondering who that man was and what was happening.

"The weather is nice today." he commented as he approached Steve.

Steve didn't know how to react or what to say and he just nodded. The man stood in front of him and showed him a small key. Steve raised his eyebrows in surprise and then the man unlocked his handcuffs and put them in his pocket. 

"Have a sit." he said as he showed him one of the chairs.

Steve sat on the chair and the man sat on the chair on the other side of the table, opposite of him.

"Who are you?" he asked the man.

"I'm Albert Wesker."

Steve thought he heard this name somewhere before but he wasn't sure. There was suddenly a knock on one of the doors.

"You can come in." Wesker said.

An old butler entered the room with a big silver tray filled with breakfast. He left it in front of Steve and then he left the room. He was used to eating tasteless gross looking food as a lab rat, and the view of that breakfast made him hungrier than he already was. A cup of coffee, a glass of orange juice, a glass of milk, omelet, bacon, and fruit salad.

"Is this for me?" he asked Wesker.

He knew that his question was stupid but he couldn't believe that he could actually eat that.

"Yes, this is for you. Go ahead, eat." he told him.

He wanted to ask him many things but he decided that it was better for the questions to wait and he started eating, at first fast but later slowly so that he will enjoy it.

"Why all this today?" he asked with a filled mouth after a while.

"Because today is a special day Steve. It's your 18th birthday." he answered with a slight smile.

Steve felt a pain in his heart immediately when he mentioned that. He was trying to forget that because the people who gave birth to him were dead and they couldn't celebrate with him. And one of them, his father, was the reason why they died. And he was also the reason why he and Steve ended up in a prison in Rockfort Island. And the reason why later Steve went through the horrible things he experienced until he was injected with a virus and ended up a lab rat for months. He had a few sips of coffee and he stopped eating as the sad memories and thoughts made him lose his appetite.

"But it is also a special day for me too. It's a special day for my research and for my future plans." Wesker continued after a while.

Steve felt rage slowly replacing his sadness. Everything was so unexpecting and the "hospitality" was so nice that he somehow didn't have the time to feel angry with this man earlier.

"Do you know why you are here?" Wesker asked him.

"Because you experiment on those who are infected." he answered as he left his cup on the tray and tried to stay calm.

"Wrong. You are here because you are special. You were injected with the t-Veronica virus and you were the only one who could give me samples of it. When I found you you looked dead, but the virus regenerated you and that's how you are alive and as if you were never injured. Through my experiments I managed to manipulate the virus and that's why you were never turned into a monster again. And with future experiments I will be able to manipulate it more until I am satisfied with the result and decide to use it. That's why you are here." he explained with a smile.

Steve was ready to burst with every word he was saying.

"Is something wrong? You look upset." he said with a smirk.

"For the last four months I am going through a nightmare." he whispered with tension. "I suffer everyday." he raised his voice. "Because of you!" he said loudly as he hit his fist on the table. "And you are asking me if something's wrong?!" he shouted.

His reaction and his words didn't touch Wesker at all and that made him more furious. Albert stood up and walked slowly around the table to approach Steve.

"You are also here because I want to help you and protect you." he said with a slight smile as he walked towards him.

"I HATE YOU!" Steve shouted while he suddenly stood up, grabbed the knife and tried to stab him.

Wesker moved faster than the normal and held Steve's armed hand tight. Steve resisted and tried to attack him with his free hand but Wesker pushed him and he fell backwards on the floor. He couldn't believe how fast and strong that man was, but he tried to attack again as he tried to reach for the knife that was near him. Wesker moved fast again and he stepped on Steve's hand with one leg to stop him from touching the knife. Steve used his other hand to push Wesker's leg and free himself but with no result.

"If you want to hate someone then hate your father. Hate him for causing your mother's death. Hate him for your imprisonment. Hate him for failing to protect you, for disappointing you and for dying. Hate him for everything else that happened to you until now. Hate Umbrella and hate all those that are to blame." he said with a cold voice as he slowly stopped stepping on Steve's hand.

For him everything Wesker just said was right and he finally gave up, he stopped trying to escape and he collapsed on the floor. He started crying for the first time after a very long time. He didn't want to cry in front of him. He felt humiliated but he couldn't stop the tears and he hid his face in his hands as he was sobbing. He had so much hatred inside him for so many. He was suffering so much and he was all alone.

"You are suffering a lot but don't worry, I am here to help you and protect you." Wesker said calmly as he bent and patted Steve's shoulder.

Then he collected the knife from the floor and he walked away.

"When you finish your breakfast we will continue our conversation." he said and left the room.


	2. Chapter 2

He cried a lot but it wasn't enough. He stopped and emotionlessly looked at the ceiling while he was still laying on the floor. As his tears dried on his cheeks he remembered that he shouldn't give up. He examined the chandelier and every corner of the ceiling, from what it looked there were no surveillance cameras in that dining room. He stood up and checked the windows to see if they were locked. He was sure they would be but he wanted to make sure that he wouldn't lose any chance. For his big surprise one of the windows was unlocked and his heart beated fast in excitement when he discovered it. Since he was on the ground floor he could get out in the garden and try to escape from there but fear stopped him for a few seconds. What if he was facing serious consequences in case he was getting caught? Worse than those he faced when they caught him the time he tried to escape from the underground lab. But down there the security was tighter and it was more difficult to escape since the facility was underground. On the other hand here he was alone in front of an unlocked window and his chances to escape were many more. He took a deep breath and he opened the window slowly to avoid any noises. He bent and looked outside. There were two soldiers far from there, on the right and they were talking with each other as they had their backs turned to him. Steve got outside carefully and he slowly closed the window. He crouched and moved to the left along the wall. That building was very big, it looked like a mansion. The garden was also big and it was surrounded by a tall fence made of stone. He would have difficulty climbing it and it would make it easier for the soldiers to spot him, so he prefered to try and find an opening.

Steve arrived in the backyard where there was a back entrance, the garaze and a warehouse. There were four soldiers there too and they were unloading supplies from a small truck. He waited for a while and when he found the chance he crouched fastly towards the entrance. His heart beated faster and he felt cold sweat running on his forehead. He managed to escape from the garden and he crossed the small road and hid between the trees that were there. From what it looked this mansion was located in a forest. Steve looked back to make sure that nobody noticed him and then he ran towards the opposite direction.

He was finally free and he couldn't believe it. He was almost out of breath but he didn't want to stop running. They would have realised that he was missing by now and they would already be looking for him. As he was running he suddenly saw something between the trees and he immediately fell on the ground to avoid detection. It was a radio tower. Steve worried a lot that in case somebody was up there then they would have heard him running and falling. He panicked in the thought of getting caught and he tried to breathe as slowly as he could so that nobody would hear him and that he would manage to catch his breath and stay calm. Between the bushes he tried to carefully examine the radio tower. It looked old and rusty. He crawled around it as he kept looking to see if anybody was up there and soon he realised that it was empty. He looked back again and he stayed silent for a few seconds. He couldn't see or hear anybody coming. Then he fastly climbed the ladder as it creaked almost ready to collapse. His heart was beating very fast and when he was finally up there and he saw the radio transmitter he thought that he would faint from excitement. He approached it and tried to use it but realised that it wasn't working. He punched it and kicked it with rage and then he looked around. That was when he finally paid attention to the view and realized that he was on an island, a private island since there was nothing there aside from a guarded port and the mansion. He went through so much to escape the prison of Rockfort Island and now he was a prisoner in another island. There was no way he could escape with so many guards even if he had weapons. One of the reasons why he escaped from the other island was because the monsters killed the guards or the guards turned into monsters and they were not as smart as human beings. He collapsed on the floor and rested his back on the metallic wall as he rested his elbows on his knees and held his head between his hands. He closed his eyes tight and pulled his hair between his fingers as he screamed internally. He didn't want to suffer from the experiments any more or to be a captive.

"Now you know that running away is useless Steve." he suddenly heard Wesker's voice.

He immediately stood up and looked below the tower.

"You can't see me, but I can." he told Steve.

Steve realised that the sound of his voice was coming from the roof and he noticed a surveillance camera and a small speaker.

"There's no way to run as you can see. Come back now." he ordered him.

"SHUT UP!!!" Steve shouted as he looked towards the camera.

Wesker chuckled.

"SHUT UP!!!" Steve shouted again with his face flushed with rage.

He moved towards the ladder but the floor creaked and collapsed. He fell on the ground and hit his head as he lost his senses.

Steve opened his eyelids slowly as he felt his body weak and hurtful. He saw a man with sunglasses looking at him but he felt confused and couldn't recognise him or realize what was going on at first. Soon the confusion faded away and he tried to stand up but his back hurt him a lot and stopped him.

"You have to rest." Wesker told him as he pushed his shoulder slightly until Steve lay back again. 

He was on a single bed but he wasn't in his cell. And judging from the big window and the rest of the room he was in a bedroom in that mansion and not in the underground lab. Wesker was sitting next to him in the desk's chair.

"Why am I not back in my cell?" Steve asked.

"Do you want to go back there?"

"No!"

"Then why do you ask that?" Wesker asked as if he wasn't understanding.

"I tried to escape and instead of facing consequences you gave me a normal room." Steve said with suspicion.

"I allowed you to escape. The security didn't spot you because they were following my orders. You can't face consequences for doing what I wanted you to do." he said with a smirk.

Steve wanted to punch his face and he felt like an idiot for falling in his trap.

"It was a lesson to help you accept your reality." Wesker continued.

"I don't want to accept this reality, I just want to leave! Please, I'm begging you!" he exhaled in agony and pain.

"Everything I did until now was for your own good. If I wasn't taking you from Antarctica then you would have died there since the Redfield siblings activated the self-destruct system. When I brought you here I helped you with the experiments to stop turning into a monster."

"You never did these things to help me, you just kidnapped me and used me as your lab rat!" he exhaled in frustration.

"Do you think anyone would care about you if you were escaping from Antarctica and you were turning into a monster? They would just kill you." he said. "Or worse..." Wesker continued. "They would be experimenting on you to do harmful things like the things Alexia did."

"You are the one to talk!" Steve chuckled when he heard about the experiments and looked away.

"I'm only trying to help you and protect you from what they did to you and from the rest of the world. You are all alone. Your family is dead and Claire never tried to look for you even if she knew that you are with me and that the virus could bring you back to life."

"I'm sure she just thinks that I'm dead!" he said as he looked at him. "And even if she wasn't thinking that then how would she even manage to find me here?" Steve asked.

"Why are you defending her? She is the reason why you end up in Antarctica and you were injected with the t-Veronica virus. If Alfred and Veronica were not after her then you would have escaped."

Steve didn't say anything. He didn't want to believe that man even if what he just said about Claire he made it sound believable.

"Here you are safe from those who would try to kill you and from those who would be experimenting on you to harm others. Here you are not alone." he said as he removed his sunglasses.

Steve was very surprised and scared by his weird eyes and he tried to move away instinctevely until the pain from his body stopped him and made him groan.

"You probably noticed in the dining room that my speed and strength are not normal. In case you didn't then now you can know that I'm also mutated. There are two of us here and we have to stay away from those who could try to use us to harm the world and from those who could kill us... People like Alexia and people like the Redfield siblings." he said with emphasis on the name "Redfield".

He felt sick while he listened to him as he kept looking in his eyes. He looked away soon and Wesker wore his sunglasses again. Steve didn't want to trust him or believe him. He thought he was probably just lying but deep inside him he was doubting this and he hated that.

"Since I don't turn into a monster anymore then why do you want to keep experimenting on me?" he asked in suspicion as he looked back at him again.

"The goal of my experiments is to help the world and that's why I won't stop experimenting on you yet. And I'm sure you want to help the world too." he answered.

Steve was very confused with everything he heard and the pain didn't help at all.

"The virus will restore your health until tomorrow or sooner. The butler will assist you with anything you might need. Take a good rest. Tomorrow is a big day, it's the first day of your training." Wesker said with a smirk and left the room before Steve asked anything else.


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you remember what I told you yesterday in the dining room? That it was a special day for both of us? Unfortunately we couldn't complete our conversation and I couldn't mention to you all the reasons why that day was special since you end up resting and healing for the rest of the day. I was sure you would try to escape but I wasn't expecting you to get injured and lose so much time. Anyway... We can continue the conversation now." Wesker said as he kept walking alongside Steve, outside in the woods. "Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of your training and the start of our partnership." he explained as he pushed his sunglasses up his nose.

"Partnership?" Steve chuckled as he gave him a mocking look.

"Yes. I want us to work together. I want to help you and I want you to help me." he looked at him seriously.

Steve looked away, thoughtful.

"And if you agree then you have to go through training first."

"Why would I want to agree to this?" he asked him with restrained anger as he stopped walking. "Why would I want to work with someone like you?!"

"It's simple Steve." He said as he approached him and stood close to him. "Away from me you will get killed or you will end up a caged lab rat for the rest of your life. But here with me, you are given the chance to make a new start and live free." Wesker explained with opened arms.

He didn't want to believe him and thought that Wesker wasn't sincere. He looked at the ground and took a step backwards.

"I wouldn't make this suggestion to just anybody. Think about it Steve." he said with a smirk and then he turned around and kept walking.

He didn't know what to say and he froze in place before he ended up following him. Soon different kinds of thoughts visited his mind with every step that he took. Thoughts that made him doubt that Wesker was lying, that made him think that maybe his suggestion was a chance to leave his shitty past behind. Thoughts that made him think he could make a new start and do something good, since Wesker also mentioned yesterday that he wanted to help the world.

They arrived in a field with obstacles for climbing, crawling and other kinds of training. Wesker stopped walking, he put his hands behind his back and looked at Steve.

"What do you say?" he asked.

Steve crossed his arms as he looked down. He was wearing brown combat boots, army pants and a black T-shirt. Training clothes that the butler gave him that morning instead of his usual "lab rat uniform". He thought for a few seconds, he raised his head and looked at Wesker.

"I'll do it!" he said with determination as he uncrossed his arms and clenched his fists.

Wesker smirked and took a timer out of his pocket.

"Get ready! You start when I whistle." he ordered as he touched with his free hand the whistle that was hanging around his neck.

Steve was trying to catch his breath after he finally ordered him to stop. He was wet from sweat and mud and his muscles were still burning. He wiped his forehead and pulled his bangs back. The training was very intense with Wesker running besides him, taunting him and ordering him to go faster between his whistlings. He couldn't even remember how many times he repeated the obstacles.

"Not bad for a start." he commented as he approached him.

"I'd be in better shape if you were not keeping me caged for four months." he answered between huffs while doubts about Wesker bothered his mind again.

"Unfortunately you had to experience that until I was completely sure that you wouldn't turn into a monster ever again. I didn't want anybody on this island to die and I'm sure you also wouldn't want that." he explained as he put the timer back in his pocket.

"And what about the terrible food you were feeding me?" he asked.

"I'm sorry you didn't like it but it was the only kind of food that your body needed and could handle during the experiments." he answered coldly.

Steve doubted him and he wondered if he made the wrong choice when he accepted his suggestion.

"I don't lie to you Steve." he told him with open arms after reading his facial expression.

"Sorry." he whispered.

Wesker put his right arm around his shoulder and led the way back to the mansion.

"Let's continue with your training. I think you will really like the next part!" he smiled.

They were inside the mansion's elevator that was leading to the underground facility and as it was moving to lower floors Steve panicked.

"I-I said sorry! I didn't mean to think you were a liar! Please, don't send me back there!" he begged as he grabbed Wesker's arm.

"Calm down." he chuckled and held his shoulders firmly. "We are only going to the underground facility for your training. You will stay there for a while until you finish the training and then you can go upstairs again." he explained.

Steve inhaled in relief as he also felt humiliated and angry with himself for acting like that.

He was in a white shooting range. It was so white that his eyes hurt him when he first entered there. He adjusted his shooting earmuffs and looked at the handgun through his safety glasses. He took it in his hands and horrible flashbacks came to his mind from the last time he used a gun. He shut his eyes tight in his attempt to forget. And when he opened them again he looked towards the window with the bulletproof glass that was above him, on his left side. He saw Wesker standing there observing him and Steve nodded at him. Then he got ready and suddenly both static and moving targets started appearing in different distances and directions. Steve really enjoyed shooting sports and as he shooted the targets and the adrenaline hit him he felt alive again, something he had stopped feeling the last four months.

He had shot almost every target and there were no more left. He waited for a while and when he made sure that the training was over he took off his earmuffs. He looked towards Wesker again and noticed that he had a pleased smile.

"Extremely good!" he said on the microphone.

Steve smiled wide and felt pride when he heard his voice through the speakers.

"I knew you were the right person for my legacy!" he said sounding excited.

He felt very confused when he heard that as he wondered what he meant.


	4. Chapter 4

The rain blurred his vision as he tried to hit Wesker. It wasn't long since they arrived in the garden to test his battling skills and Steve was already panting lightly. Wesker was very good in battle, so good that Steve was already annoyed for not managing to hit him.

_"I want to leave my legacy to you."_

He remembered what he told him on their way to the mansion's garden, when they met after he left the shooting range.

 _"You are mutated, you are good at handling guns, you fought monsters and survived from Rockfort island and you have more potential if you train. You can even fly planes at such a young age! That's why I think you are the right person..."_

He tried to punch Wesker's stomach but he avoided his attack.

 _"The right person who will help me regenerate myself if something ever happens to me... Just like I did for you before the Redfields blow up that lab with you in there. The right person who will inherit what belonged to me and who will take revenge from the Redfields for me if they ever kill me. You should know that they hate me and at some point they will indeed try to kill me. I know you don't like what you are hearing now but trust me, they are not good people."_

  
He tried to kick Wesker but he avoided him as Steve slipped on the wet grass and lost his balance.

  
"Is this all you got?" he taunted him with a chuckle.

  
He stood up fastly as he felt rage taking over him.

  
 _"Claire never cared for you. She just used you to help her escape. Proof? She abandoned you in Antarctica and she never tried to find you here."_

He felt pain in his chest in the memory of these specific words. He clenched his teeth while he inhaled deeply. He ran towards Wesker, he jumped on the air and tried to punch him in the face as he huffed loudly. Wesker avoided his attack while he gripped him and threw him behind him. Steve landed with his back on the grass and he stayed there as he emotionlessly looked at the rain drops falling on his face. He wasn't angry anymore, he was just disappointed and thoughtful.

"You need work." Wesker commented as he approached him.

  
He stood above him, in front of him and offered him his hand but Steve didn't react. He remembered when Claire offered her hand to him while he was on the ground and he had denied her help. He wondered if back then he did that just because of his pride or if deep inside him, without realising it, he had understood that she was just using him and didn't care for him.

  
"Come on, let's go inside. I think you had too much for the first day." he said with a soft smile.

Steve came back to the present, he grabbed his hand and Wesker helped him to stand up.


	5. Chapter 5

Steve took a shower and changed into a clean pair of the same training clothes he was wearing earlier. He didn't want to see or wear his "lab rat uniform" ever again. The butler called him for lunch and after eating he returned to his bedroom for a nap. He was in need of that rest both physically and mentally after such an intense start of the day. When he woke up he wanted to go for a walk until the seashore, to take some fresh air and to help himself think more clearly about some things. But not only the rain had not stopped yet but it had turned into a storm too and this forced him to stay indoors. He walked around his room with the polished wooden floor, the old fashioned wallpaper, the antique furniture, the high quality bed covers and the elegant curtains. When his parents were alive they had economical problems and he had never thought that he would live in a room like this with it's own bathroom. And after his imprisonment in Rockfort Island and later his confinement in the underground lab he had even started doubting that he could ever live outside of a cell. He realised that this was the first time after months that he could just relax and try to enjoy the moment as everything was normal. Or as if everything was normal...

Wesker never ordered him to stay in his room and since he was bored he decided to explore the mansion. He went downstairs to start from the ground floor. Aside from the lobby, the living room and some halls he found a library room as big as the dining room. The majority of the books were about science but since he wasn't very fond of reading he didn't spend more time there to discover books of different genres. He visited the kitchen and he greeted an old man who was probably the cook. He didn't respond and Steve found this weird. He saw a door in there and opened it and went downstairs until he ended up in a wine cellar with dim light. He had only seen something like that in movies and he found it cool. Suddenly he felt someone touching his arm and he gasped as he moved away.

"I'm sorry sir! I didn't want to scare you."

It was the old butler.

"I would like to ask you to avoid visiting rooms that are busy from the house staff. We are doing our best to offer our services but it's not easy for us to do our job if someone unnecessarily walks around. In case you need to get anything then you can let me know and I will bring it to you."

"Sorry! I didn't mean to bother." Steve apologised before he leaves.

He felt uncomfortable with what happened and he prefered to leave the rest of the ground floor and to explore the first floor. As he was going upstairs he noticed a guard who was standing towards the main entrance observing him and thought that maybe what he was doing could be considered suspicious.

While he walked through the corridors he wondered if the scientists who experimented on him were living in some of the bedrooms on that floor. The thought of them made him angry and sick and he tried to forget about them. He found a billiard room and he got a flashback of when he played with his father for the first time. The nostalgic memory filled him with sadness and he tried to ignore it. He left the room and remembered that he had not seen Wesker since they stopped battling. He didn't even appear for lunch earlier and he wondered if he would find him somewhere around there. As he kept walking he saw a half opened door. He approached it quietly and then he peeked around it. Wesker was in his office sitting at his desk while he was writing something in a yellow binder. There was a computer on that desk too and Steve's heart beated faster in the thought of using it to communicate. After all he wasn't really sure yet about Wesker and his motives. Suddenly he raised his head and looked towards him. Steve hid behind the door immediately but he had already spotted him.

"You can come in." he told him while he closed the file.

Steve stepped inside as Wesker put the binder in one of the desk's drawers.Then he locked it with a key which he later hid in his pocket.

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Not really. I was just bored and ended up walking around the mansion to see how the rooms look." he explained as he folded his arms on his chest.

"I can imagine how boring it can be here for a young man." he said as he stood up.

"I didn't see you at lunchtime, were you busy?" he asked him as Wesker approached him.

"Yeah. Sometimes I can be so busy that food has to wait. Come with me." he said as he touched Steve's back and led him outside of the room.

He observed him locking the door with a key which he soon put in his pocket, and Steve felt disappointed in the thought that he couldn't reach the computer.

"Where are we? Where exactly is this island?" he asked as he followed him.

"I understand that you probably have a lot of questions but some of them should wait until they get answered. I know that it's difficult for you to trust me completely and that it might take time until then but the same goes for me too. After all it was only yesterday the last time you were willing to escape and it was only some hours ago the last time you doubted me. If you want me to trust you then trust me and have patience." he answered with his cold tone without stopping.

Steve was dissatisfied with his reply while at the same time he thought that it was reasonable. He prefered to don't say anything else and he just kept following him.

They arrived outside of a room and Wesker unlocked the door before they go inside. It was his bedroom and it was very similar to Steve's but with a lot more space, a double bed, some bookcases and an armchair. Wesker opened a drawer of his dresser and started searching for something.

"Where is it? I think it was here last time I saw it." he muttered under his breath. "Ah! There it is!" he said with a satisfied smile.

He turned around, walked towards Steve and offered him a portable cassette player.

"You can have this."

"Really?" he asked but without accepting it.

"Yeah. It'll help you feel less bored in your free time."

"But... what about you? Won't you need it?" he asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Don't worry. I used to listen to music when I was younger but as the years passed I got too busy and I even lost enough interest in it."

"Thanks a lot then!" he smiled as he accepted the gift.

"You might find the cassette inside it old fashioned since the mix of songs is from the last decade." he commented as he raised his sunglasses and placed them on the top of his head.

"It's fine! I like a lot of '80s songs." he said as he avoided looking him in the eyes.

Wesker noticed this and he chuckled lightly as he wore his sunglasses again.

"I'm sorry. It's just that... I'm not used to their view yet."

"Understandable." he nodded.

"You don't have to wear your sunglasses if you don't want to."

"I always liked wearing sunglasses so it's not really a problem for me." he explained as he smirked.

Steve was sitting on his window's ledge listening to music as he was watching the rain and the night falling. The song that was playing was "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Eurythmics.

 _Some of them want to use you_  
 _Some of them want to get used by you_  
 _Some of them want to abuse you_  
 _Some of them want to be abused_

When he heard these lyrics he remembered what Wesker told him about Claire. It made sense but he doubted it again. Did she really just use him?

"Some of them want to use you..." he whispered thoughtfully as he immediately had a flashback of Wesker looking at him with his weird eyes. "Hmm..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of the story so far? Also, how do you feel about Wesker's behavior towards Steve? I would like to read your opinions.


	6. Chapter 6

His mother was on their living room's floor surrounded by Umbrella's men. Their guns were pointing at her but Steve couldn't help her since he was trapped in a capsule. He punched it's glass surface many times but with no result.

"Please, don't kill her!" he cried in panic as he kept punching the glass.

Through his wet eyes Steve noticed someone standing at the door and as the tears rolled on his cheeks he recognised him.

"Father do something! Help us!!!" he shouted.

His father didn't respond and the men prepared their guns while the capsule started filling with cold water.

"FATHEEEEEER!!!" he cried until he was breathless without stopping to try to escape.

At the same time there were gunshots and his mother's blood spread on the capsule.

"NOOOOO!!!" he screamed as he kept crying.

The water was rising faster and the blood on the glass wasn't allowing him to see clearly. He breathed faster because of the panic and the cold. Soon he wouldn't be able to breath anymore.

"Father... Fatheeer." he cried disappointed.

Suddenly he heard Veronica's sadistic laughter which terrified him, and then he couldn't hear anything anymore because he was underwater. His mother was dead, his father didn't help them, he was trapped and he was running out of oxygen.

Steve jumped up as he woke up panicked and wet with cold sweat. His stomach felt sick and he immediately ran in his bedroom's toilet. He galped and inhaled and exhaled slowly in his attempt to don't throw up. As the seconds passed he felt calmer and his stomach too. He moved towards the sink and he washed his face with cold water. He turned off the faucet, rested his elbows on the sink's sides and he standed there with closed eyes while his wet skin was dripping on the marble. It wasn't the first time he was having a nightmare after what happened but it was always upsetting him.

It was very early and he had training in a few hours but he was unable to go back to bed. He got ready and he got out of his room. Everything was quiet, probably even the servants were still asleep. He walked in the corridor and he heard the grandfather clock striking the hour from the dining room. The way it's sound spread in the moonlit and empty looking mansion made him shiver. Recently he had discovered a small living room with a nice balcony on his bedroom's floor and he decided to go there.

The sky was clear and there was a cold breeze coming from the sea. He rested his elbows on the balcony's stone fence and he breathed deeply. It was almost a week since his life changed but to him it felt longer. Maybe because not only now he lived better than he used to live when he was caged but the training was very intense compared to what he experienced the first day and he had to follow a specific routine that kept him occupied almost all day.

"Insomnia?" Wesker asked and surprised Steve who wasn't expecting anyone to be around so early.

"Yeah, you can say that." he replied while he glanced at him.

"In case it happens again often then we should do something about it. The sleeping schedule is important." he said as he approached him and standed next to him.

"If it's important then why are you also awake so early?" he asked as he looked at him.

"For me a few hours of sleep are usually enough. It's because of the virus that's in me." he explained.

"I see." he said as he looked down at the garden before he suddenly retches.

He brought his hand in front of his mouth and he tried to don't throw up. He breathed slowly and he galped.

"Are you alright?" Wesker asked him.

"Yeah." he whispered as he inhaled. "It's nothing serious, I just woke up with an upset stomach." he shrugged.

"If it happened more than once then it might be the start of something very serious."

"Maybe I'm just ill, don't overreact." he chuckled.

"I don't overreact. The drugs we gave you probably didn't work the way we expected them to work."

"What are you saying?" he asked, very confused. "You never gave me any drugs since I left the underground lab!" he said upsettingly.

"They have been in your food since you left the underground facility," he explained coldly.

"What?!" he raised his voice in anger.

"Come on Steve, don't act surprised. I had already told you that I wasn't going to stop experimenting on you yet."

"But I was under the impression that you would let me know when you would experiment on me and how!" he almost shouted.

"It's your fault if you misunderstood me. And anyway, now you know." he said casually. "Go and get changed. I will inform the scientists."

"What do you mean?" he asked with wide opened eyes and his mouth dry from fear.

"You obviously can't go to the lab dressed like this."

No matter how much he begged him to don't go, it didn't work. He ended up in that cold place with the smell, the white clothes and the people he used to hate for months. Two guards were standing in the entrance and he wondered if they would forcing him to stay in case he was trying to leave. He walked under the strong lights towards a bed that brought him a lot of nightmares. Some of the scientists were looking at him, some others were discussing with each other while the rest were reading some papers. He would feel angry with all of them but he was too scared to feel anger. He lay on the bed as he felt his hands trembling slightly from stress. A scientist approached him and for the first time he wasn't someone from the usual ones. It was Wesker and the view of him in a lab coat made him sick.

"Like I said earlier this is for your own good." he said gently. "I will stay here the whole time. Don't worry, it's gonna be fine." he tried to reassure him as if what was going on was normal.

In response Steve inhaled deeply as he nodded. Wesker left for almost a minute and then he returned and injected him with something. At first he felt very warm and later he couldn't breathe. Wesker was talking to the other scientists, something was going on but he couldn't understand what. He was just unable to breath and he was feeling like he was sinking until everything was dark.

"Please, I want to go home." he whispered in his sleep as a tear rolled on his cheek. "Please, pleaaase. Let me go home." he whispered again as he saw his family in the distance while he was unable to go to them because someone had trapped him.

He felt a hand caressing his forehead and he woke up. As he opened his eyes slowly he realised that he was back to his room in the mansion again. He looked next to him and he saw Wesker sitting in the desk's chair.

"Welcome back home Steve." he said with a light smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve has muscles after all the training but he isn't extremely muscular. His muscles are like Jake's.

"One month of training left." Wesker said as he ran his fingers through Steve's damp hair, applying gel on it. "You learned so many things and you will learn more. But it'll be more difficult than it already is and I want you to be mentally ready."

"I am." Steve nodded, looking at him through the mirror's reflection.

"You worked really hard." he said while he combed his hair straight back. "Just look at you." he made a pause as he stopped and looked at him in the mirror. "You are not who you used to be." he said and then he continued with the combing.

Steve examined his reflection. He went through so much and changed a lot. He wasn't the thin boy he used to be anymore. He was a man with muscles now. He was stronger, not only physically but mentally too. He was more mature, more experienced and he could control his emotions better. The man with the slicked back hair wasn't a stranger, it was him. And these thoughts made him smile lightly.

"Done!" Wesker said while he left the comb next to the sink. "You see? It's easy and it doesn't take a lot of time." he said as he washed his hands.

"Yeah, but I still don't like the idea of sweat and mud mixed with gel."

"It's a practical way to keep your hair away from your eyes while training, if you don't want to shave your head or cut your hair too short." he explained drying his hands with the towel while Steve moved his chair in front of the desk again.

Wesker left the bathroom and walked towards him before he rests his right hand on his shoulder.

"This last month you made me really proud!" he told him before he hugs him and gives him a pat on the back.

Steve wasn't expecting these words and gestures from him. But he appreciated them a lot, deep inside him they moved him too, and he smiled at him as Wesker stopped hugging him.

"You deserve a break, you earned it. Today is free for you." he smirked.

"Much appreciated!" Steve responded.

Wesker walked towards the door.

"Oh, and keep that bottle of gel. You might decide to use it in the future." He said before he leaves from Steve's room.

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is welcome! If you enjoyed this fanfic then I will be happy if you leave a kudo and a comment.


End file.
